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Prior to applying for Full Approval status, the Center must first have been
granted Provisional Status. While Provisional Status is based on the adequacy
of resources, Full Approval is based on the achievement of acceptable outcomes.
SRC anticipates developing additional guidelines and criteria for Full Approval
based on outcomes data reported by program participants and by other databases.
Future applications for Full Approval as well as renewal applications will be
required to meet any outcomes data requirements and guidelines which may be in
place at the time of application or renewal.
The application for Full Approval as a SRC International
Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence requests:
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Information to assure that the requirements for Provisional Status remain
satisfied.
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Information regarding the patient populations, the operations performed, and
their outcomes.
Full Approval requires a site inspection. The process is
initiated once the application for Full Approval has been received by SRC. Nurses trained and experienced in bariatric surgery who are full-time employees of SRC conduct the inspections following a prescribed
protocol that includes:
- A careful review of the facilities.
- Interviews with the staff and key leaders of the facility.
- Random chart reviews.
The purpose of the site inspection is to gather data, not to
make judgments. The information collected during the site inspection is then
submitted to the Bariatric Surgery Review Committee (BSRC) for review with the
Full Approval application. If the guidelines for Full Approval have been
met, approval is granted for a term of three years.
Programs that fail to maintain standards may be placed on
Probationary Status. If the deficits are not corrected or if there are
egregious findings, the BSRC may also recommend to the SRC Board of
Directors that the designation as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
be revoked.
If a program disagrees with the decisions of the BSRC, it can
appeal the matter to the Board of Directors.
The Full Approval application process to become a SRC
International Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence involves the following
steps:
| 1. |
The center and its surgeons continue to meet
the criteria required for Provisional Status and fully comply with the 10
requirements for Provisional Status.
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| 2. |
Any deficiencies noted during the Provisional Status
review have been corrected. |
| 3. |
A complete and accurate description of changes in the
institution or the staff (since the Provisional Status application) has been
submitted to the BSRC.
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| 4. |
A list of the academic activities of the surgeons
including grants obtained, papers published, presentations, participation in
courses, etc. has been provided. |
| 5. |
The surgeon must be, or must have been, board certified by either the
American Board of Surgery (ABS), the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery
(AOBS), and/or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
(RCPSC). In the event that these board certifications are not
applicable to your country of practice, you will be asked to provide your
qualifications, credentials and CME demonstrating expertise in the field of
bariatric surgery.
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| 6. |
Outcomes data for bariatric surgery are reported in an
anonymous fashion in accordance with HIPAA regulations. Outcomes data must be
reported for all bariatric surgery patients in the Bariatric Outcomes
Longitudinal DatabaseT (BOLD™).
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